<table> </table> As families prepared for back-to-school time, most bought books and clothes.</p><p>More and more, however, our students are not prepared for something much more important. A growing number are not prepared to take math and English classes at their grade levels.</p><p>They are falling behind their peers and forced to take remedial classes in an effort to catch up.</p><p>You can guess what happens &#8212; most students who try to catch up never do. They fall further and further behind.</p><p>The numbers are alarming. In 2006, 36 percent of Missouri public high school graduates entering public two- and four-year institutions required remediation in at least one subject. That included nearly 30 percent in mathematics and 17 percent in English.</p><p>Nationally, more than one-third of incoming college freshmen must enroll in at least one remedial course at some point in college. At community colleges, the number of students taking remedial courses jumps to 43 percent.</p><p>African-American and Hispanic students are only half as likely as their white counterparts to graduate from high school prepared for college. That means that minority students are much more likely to fail their college placement exams and spend additional money on remedial classes.</p><p>According to new research from Strong American Schools, taking two remedial courses at a four-year public college or university can cost as much as $2,500. Many of these costs are also passed on to our state government. In Missouri, if all of our students graduated high school ready for college, the government would save $53 million a year in community college costs and lost earnings.</p><p>Currently, only 30 percent of students who enroll in college level remedial reading courses earn a college degree. That means we are losing a generation of doctors, scientists and leaders in new technologies.</p><p>The rigor of a student&#8217;s high school curriculum is one of the best predictors of college success. States must put in place rigorous standards. At the same time, we must ensure that every student has a quality teacher. By offering incentives to teachers &#8212; increasing pay for teachers who perform best and/or teach in at-risk schools &#8212; we can fix schools in every community.</p><p>The challenges we face are about kids and their futures.</p><p>Whatever debates we have about policy, we must ask ourselves constantly: &#8220;Are we working for the best interests of students?&#8221;</p><p>We must demand that the education status quo end.</p><p>By enacting strong standards that expect the best of our students and by ensuring that all students have qualified teachers to prepare them for college, we will go a long way to making sure they are also prepared for life.